Humans don’t like discomfort A chief workplace psychologist at Qualtrics @benjamingrangerphd, explains what their research keeps revealing... when employees face big change at work (and when customers face product or pricing changes), the first reaction is often negative. Discomfort shows up fast and we’re wired to relieve it quickly. But…
Does change make you weaker… or stronger? Steve sits down with Ben Granger, Chief Workplace Psychologist at Qualtrics and author of A Leader Worth Following, to break down the psychology of growth mindset, discomfort, and adaptation. Ben shares why many of us grow up with a fixed mindset (“I’m just…
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 Heather Hodges shares a simple leadership practice that changes decision-making, when her instinct is to act, she slows herself down and asks one question... “What am I missing?” That question forces a pause. And it turns action into something more strategic... because you find…
Growth isn’t a vibe. It’s a leap. Megan breaks down “growth ready” in a way that cuts through the noise... growth is what you learn from a leap. It has to matter. It has to stretch you. It has to be relevant... real learning, not busy work. But then comes…
𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 “y𝙚𝙨” Patrick shares a simple definition of being growth ready: being open to saying yes. Not a “yes, but…” and not a yes with a list of conditions attached... because that’s wanting growth only on your terms. He acknowledges boundaries matter, but if you don’t start with…
𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆 Steve Mellor breaks down the difference between hope and insistence. He reflects on leaving swimming to become an executive coach, thinking the podcast would help shape the future, then realizing three years later he was still living the old identity. Waiting for clarity. Waiting to…
Hope can sound like progress. But sometimes it’s just hesitation in disguise. In this Coaches’ Corner, Steve uses Abraham Lincoln as a case study for what it looks like to keep moving when there’s little evidence things are working. Lincoln lost elections, watched businesses fail, navigated deep personal struggle, and…
Are you eating what you want? Steve Mellor shares a question most high performers avoid: we get so obsessed with the outcome that we stop paying attention to what we’re putting on our plate. Is it actually satisfying… or are you just consuming it to stay busy? Kendall Breitman reflects…
Readiness Is Physical Readiness isn’t a mindset Samara Bay calls “being ready” a paradox, when you’re mind-ready, it can trigger perfectionism, and you’re not actually in a position to grow. Her reframe is simple and confronting: readiness is a body thing. Because growth lives in the unknown, and your body…
Prepared To Fail Being growth ready means you’re willing to fail Leanda Cave shares a definition of “growth ready” that most people avoid: you have to be prepared to fail. Not because failure is the goal, but because it’s often the price of the biggest growth you’ll ever experience. For…
𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 Kendall Breitman explains that being “growth ready” isn’t a title or a moment you arrive at. It’s a hunger for what’s next, a drive that shows up when you know you have more capacity, and you’re willing to chase what you actually want. For…
Boxing yourself in will box your life in Kendall Breitman, Head of Community at @riverside.fm, explains that when you get dead set on one direction, this is where I’m going, no matter what, you can end up shrinking your life around that plan. Not because ambition is wrong, but because…
𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆. - Kendall Breitman In this episode of the GrowthReady Podcast, Steve Mellor sits down with Kendall Breitman, former political journalist (NBC, Bloomberg) and now Head of Community at @Riversidefm,…
Community will confront you Steve Mellor explains why high performers often avoid the one thing that accelerates growth: community, especially with strangers. When you walk into a room where nobody knows you, you lose the advantage of being known. No one cares about your resume, your titles, or your track…
“J𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩” isn’t real advice Dr. Leslie Gordon explains why confidence isn’t something you can put on like a jacket. It’s a muscle you build through action, reps, repetition, and seeing the cause-and-effect of doing something new. She says real confidence gets forged at the edge… the moment you…
You can’t connect and critique at the same time Dr. Leslie Gordon names the disconnect so many high performers feel... you know you have the expertise, but the world isn’t experiencing it. Sometimes it’s not your voice, it’s the self-critique running in the background. Her challenge to us: evaluate your…
There is no finish line to growth. Joe Smarro reminds us that growth isn’t an endpoint—it’s a constant pursuit. Check your “dashboard” and ask: where can I level up next, even in the next hour? And here’s the deeper truth, you don’t need external wins to feel whole. What you’re…
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡. Dr. Leslie Gordon explains why high performers often cling to what feels familiar, even when it’s no longer serving them. The inner voice may sound safe. The old habit may feel comfortable. But comfort can quietly keep us from stepping into the next version of who…
What if the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of expertise, but the fact that your voice hasn’t caught up to what you know? In this episode, Steve Mellor sits down with Dr. Leslie Gordon, a speech, voice, and accent expert who helps high-performing professionals speak with more confidence,…
Self-sufficiency isn’t the same as high performance. Steve Mellor challenges the belief that “not needing anyone” is a strength. He explains that real growth isn’t just about capacity and endurance, it’s about exposure: to new people, new feedback, new discomfort, and new reflections. That’s why so many high performers avoid…
The leader gets the spotlight, but the win is rarely theirs alone. Steve Mellor shares a simple truth about high performance: behind every “solo” result is a team doing the unseen work... taking the pressure, sharing the load, and sacrificing so the mission moves forward. What would change if you…
There’s a moment in the Tour de France most people miss. Not the sprint finish. Not the podium. Not the yellow jersey. It’s the mountain stage, where you realize the leader isn’t actually alone. We use that image to challenge a belief a lot of high performers quietly live by:…
There’s a moment in the Tour de France most people miss. Not the sprint finish. Not the podium. Not the yellow jersey. It’s the mountain stage, where you realize the leader isn’t actually alone. We use that image to challenge a belief a lot of high performers quietly live by:…
Leanda Cave explains that growth begins with a willingness to fail. She says failure became a benchmark in her journey, teaching her to embrace discomfort, work harder, and keep moving toward bigger goals even when success did not come right away. #SteveMellor #LeandaCave #GrowthReady #GrowthMindset #EmbraceFailure #Resilience #MentalToughness #HighPerformance #PersonalGrowth…